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Blood Pressure Levels Vary by Age

Women are about as likely as men to develop high blood pressure during their lifetimes. However, for people younger than 45 years old, the condition affects more men than women. For people 65 years old or older, high blood pressure affects more women than men.2

Talk with Your Health Care Team About Blood Pressure

Since 1999, more people with high blood pressure—especially those 60 years old or older—have become aware of their condition and gotten treatment. Unfortunately, about 1 of 5 U.S. adults with high blood pressure still do not know that they have it.2

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults with high blood pressure use medications to treat the condition.1

In 2009, Americans visited their health care providers more than 55 million times to treat high blood pressure.2

Using team-based care that includes the patient, primary care provider, and other health care providers is a recommended strategy to reduce and control blood pressure.5

Reducing the average amount of salt or sodium that people eat from 3,400 milligrams (mg) to 2,300 mg per day—the level recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010—may reduce cases of high blood pressure by 11 million and save 18 billion health care dollars every year.4